Despair
by DeathIsOnStrike
Summary: Death Fic! OOCness ensured. Woken by the wintry night air, Cameron hears a melancholy tune. Can be viewed as gen or CameronChase. Oneshot.


Before you ask, no I haven't forgotten my other story. I just ran into a road block and while thinking up the next chapter this little evil bunny attached itself to my leg. (Glares at happy sated evil bunny) So here you go, tis only a one shot.

Title: Despair

Chapters: 1/1

Pairing: Can be seen as Cameron/Chase.

Rating: Depending on how you look at it. Teen to Mature.

Warnings: Character death and OOCness ensured.

Disclaimer: Don't own nothing.

Please read then decide to kill me. Oh and review while you're plotting the best way to kill me. Toodles.

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Despair

A cool breeze of wintry air curled around Dr Allison Cameron's bed, caressing her smooth porcelain cheeks. Chilling her underneath the warm red duvet covers, she opened her sleep deprived hazel eyes. Wrapping her bare arms around her, she groaned and moved to fix the problem which prevented her from getting a good night's sleep. Removing the tangled sheets and blankets from her person, she placed two bare feet on the cold carpeted floor. Brushing back stray light brown wisps of hair that had escaped her braid she had worn to bed, she searched around for her robe. Plucking the light yet warm blue material off of a nearby chair, she wrapped it around her chilled body. Yawning, she slowly got up. Her muscles protested, enticing her to come back to bed and lay dead to the world until the day dawned a bright cool frost bitten morning.

She promised her aching body that she was just going to close whatever was letting the cold air into her slightly messy apartment, she stubbed her toe on a nearby table and nearly fell across it. Cursing softly, she rubbed her abused foot and shin. Shaking her head, Cameron tried to focus on her surroundings, it didn't help matters much that it was pitch black. Placing her hands a full arms length away from her body and bending slightly, she maneuvered herself to the nearest light switch without much incident. Straightening slowly, due to her protesting back, she slowly flicked the light on. It spluttered and flickered, before dimming into darkness. Cameron felt her brows furrowing together and flicked the light switch a couple more times, but the light stayed dark. Grumbling, she headed towards the kitchen. It was the only place as of now that she could think of that held a working flashlight.

The kitchen was bathed in the white light of the full moon that seemed to be beaming its face from behind the smoke like clouds. Stepping in, Cameron wrapped her arms around herself once again, the temperature had dropped a few degrees it was the most coldest room in the whole apartment when it wasn't in use. It was probably due to all the metal, plastics, and in general all non heat absorbent materials that the kitchen held or was made out of. Squinting through the blinding white light that was being reflected off of her spotless white counter, Cameron spotted the source of the cold air. The window had been unlatched by the restless wind, even now it was opening and shutting the great glass pane every few seconds. Sighing, Cameron unwrapped her arms and reached out to pull the window back in to secure the latch. One of the sleeves of her blue robe fell forwards to obstruct her right hand from completing her intended task, perched half on and off her counter, Cameron shook her hand to get the sleeve to retreat back to its intended spot. That's when she heard it.

Stopping, Cameron hopped onto the counter. Feeling the icy coldness pierce her flannel pajama bottoms, she perched on her knees and leaned towards the window. A lone melancholy voice drifted down, but it was too far away to make out who was singing or what they were singing. Thinking it was one of her crazy neighbours, Cameron moved to latch the window firmly shut. Again, she stopped and listened to the sad melody that ached of depression.

Biting her bottom lip, Cameron tried to decide whether or not to go up and check who was disturbing the peace of another cold wintry night. If she didn't go and went back to bed, she wouldn't feel too tired in the morning, however she would be riddled with curiosity and maybe some slight guilt. If she did go up and see what was the matter, she'd at least get the satisfaction of knowing who was up singing.

Her decision made, she headed back to her bedroom and dressed in warmer clothes. Stuffing a fleece scarf down her zipped coat, she jammed a hat over her unruly locks. Grabbing her keys and she slammed the door shut. Cameron was certain the lonesome voice was coming from the roof, but she kept an ear out just in case she was wrong and it really was one of her crazy neighbours. Reaching the cold metal stairs that led upwards to the roof, she stopped to pull on her gloves and listen. The voice could be identified now as a golden tenor singing listlessly, Cameron was sure it was coming from the roof. Slowly she made her way upwards, at first the door was stuck to its frame due to the premature frost that the night had brewed up. Cameron pressed down on the handle and pushed with her right arm while she rammed it a couple of times with her left shoulder, several tries later the door swung open.

"...Do you see my guilt? Should I feel fright? Is the fire of hesitation burning bright?" the voice sang quietly.

Cameron rounded the corner and stopped. The moon shone brightly, snow had started spiraling gently in the air. The rays of silver and the glistening snow threaded itself in the person's hair that hung down to cover their face. He was sitting on the ledge of the roof looking down at the putrid alley beneath his feet, occasionally he would drum them on the wall to the quiet song he was singing to. He looked familiar, but Cameron couldn't put a finger as to who it was, "Aren't you cold?"

The person took no notice of her as he sang, "I have seen fear. I have seen faith. Seen the look of anger on your face..."

"Hey." Cameron said, gripping the others shoulder, "Are you alright?" as she looked upon the mysterious face she gasped, "Chase what are you doing here?"

The words of the song faded on his lips like a mild breeze, the moon was reflected in the glazed orbs which was a stormy grey in the night. A whiff of alcohol worked its way into Cameron's nostrils, "Have you been drinking? Aren't you cold?" she asked again. Chase was only dressed in his usual slacks, dress shirt, tie, and a light jacket.

He shrugged, "I don't think I am. Do you think it's cold?"

Cameron gripped his upper arm and could practically feel the cold seeping through the rough weave of her mittens, "Come inside. It's freaking cold out here."

"I want to stay here." Chase said decisively turning back to look at the roof of the opposite apartment, "I'm not cold."

Sighing Cameron shrugged out of her jacket and placed it over both their shoulders as she sat beside Chase, "What are you doing here anyways?"

She felt rather then saw him shrug and he started humming a tune that sounded remarkably close to the song he was singing earlier. Cameron was sure she had never heard the song before, but she found it stirring and sad. "I think we should go inside." Cameron declared as she felt her fingers turning into blocks of ice.

"You can go." Chase said and resumed humming.

"You're going to catch pneumonia." Cameron tried rationalizing.

"I don't want to go inside." Chase said again.

Resigned Cameron crouched back down, "Why?"

Chase blinked rapidly, "He's waiting. Disapproving. So is she."

"Who?" Cameron asked with interest.

"All of them." he whispered hoarsely, tucking his legs underneath him, "They all look at me like I'm nothing but scum. I see it in everyone's expressions, everyone."

"What? I don't..." Cameron's voice faded as she realized that she did, occasionally.

Wrapping his arms around his drawn up knees, he started singing, "Do you see their truth through all their lies? Do you see the world through trouble eyes?"

"Stop singing." Cameron said, definitely grouchier, "Get up, we're going back inside before either of us turn into ice blocks."

"That's not possible." Chase smiled innocently, a smile that seemed more open then she had ever seen upon his face before, "We'd only be frozen like we were put into one of those giant airtight refrigerators they have in restaurants. If you wanted to turn into an ice cube then I suggest you go into the arctic and bury yourself there."

"You're pretty somber for a drunk." Cameron said as she wrapped an arm around his waist and felt the knife-tipped hipbones digging into her arm, "Have you even been eating? You're so thin, nearly skeletal."

"God, takes care of us all." Chase grinned as he stumbled from the numbness flowing through his body, "What a joke. If he truly did then why doesn't he zap me and make me full of wondrous food?" he laughed loudly and did not seem quite sane, "There's no God out there. No afterlife, no nothing. Nothing, I tell you nothing!"

"Okay." Cameron said unsuccessfully trying to drag Chase to the door, "We can talk about this in the morning. Right now we need to get you inside before you wake up the whole neighbourhood with your noisy accusations." Cameron was unperturbed as Chase continued to mutter nonsense about the non existance of God. In fact she was a self proclaimed atheist, however she wasn't sure if other people would take what Chase was garbling about, lightly.

"Don't want to go back inside." Chase groaned, ripping himself out of Cameron's grasp, "They'll find me."

"Who will find you?" Cameron asked tiredly, running a hand through her hair that was starting to crystallize, "Wait...you're not a paranoid schizophrenic are you?"

"They hurt me." Chase whimpered in a small voice and began pacing, "I tried to escape them, too many times. But they always find me and bring me back. Why? Why can't they just let me be?"

"What are you talking about?" Cameron asked alarmed, "Chase come on, you'll feel better with a warm bath."

He shook his head rapidly, wringing his hands as he gazed up at the moon, "They always are there, they never go away."

"Tomorrow they'll be gone. I promise." Cameron said wildly, "Now come."

"Uh-uh. They'll be there without fail." Chase said standing on the low wall that prevented him from walking right off of the roof, "I tried. But this time I will be successful."

"No." Cameron shouted and grabbed his arm to pull him back down, "Come here."

Chase scrutinized Cameron's face and then crouched, he gazed seriously into her face. "I need to tell you." he said slowly, "This isn't your fault."

"Wha-" Cameron was cut off as he grabbed her in a bear hug from above and soft lips bruised her own.

One kiss. It took only one kiss. One kiss for Cameron to lower her guard down. One kiss for Chase to murmur he was sorry into her lips. One kiss for Chase to send Cameron sprawling into the newly fallen snow and stun her for just that one crucial moment while he took his final leap of faith, he had all the time in the world to repent his sorrows.

A few seconds too late, Cameron pushed herself to her feet and stumbled to the ledge. Clasping a hand over her mouth, she wept in sorrow. For Chase's spirit had been broken and now his body had followed.

On the steps of Princeton's more modest apartment building, a still silhouette lay. As the manager opened the door to see what the commotion was, yellow light spilled forth into the snowy night and illuminated the dark red streams tripping silently down the steps.

Cameron turned away and squeezed her teary eyes shut as a scream rendered the air. Slowly she stumbled down the stairs and managed to make her way into her apartment, discarding her jacket, boots, and keys she sat heavily at her table in the dark. She couldn't get the feel of his trembling alcohol soaked lips out of her mind and despite Chase's last words. Cameron did think it was her fault.


End file.
